New Year is celebrated all across the world by millions and millions of people. It is just that the cultures and traditions followed on the big day vary from country to country, but the intention of welcoming the New Year is very much the same. New Year in Mexico is the time to rejoice with friends and family. On the New Year Mexican people follow various superstitious traditions with a hope and belief to welcome fortune into their lives. If you have been there to Mexico in your life or willing to visit the place to celebrate the New Year, you must know the Mexican New Year Traditions to attract the good fortune as per their beliefs.
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Mexican New Year’s Traditions
Mexico is one of those countries whose people follow the traditions very strictly. There are many traditions that include foods, activities, fun etc that people over there observe sincerely abiding by their traditions. If you are planning to ring in the coming New Year in Mexico here are the traditions that you have to know before heading there. If you like these traditions, you can follow them as well and gain the luck. The rituals that Mexican people follow are quite unique and will leave you surprised on reading them. Read on and find out the most interesting Mexican New Year’s Traditions ever.
1. Eating 12 Grapes
Eating 12 grapes in 12 seconds at the stroke of midnight is probably the most popular tradition followed by the Mexican people. This tradition is observed by millions of people even today. The 12 grapes here represent 12 months. One has to finish up all the 12 grapes within a span of 60 seconds in order to attain good fortune in the New Year. People are supposed to make 12 wishes for 12 months. By successfully pursuing this tradition one can attain good fortune in the New Year as per the Mexicans’ beliefs. People can also think about their goals while gasping the 12 grapes as it would help them accomplish their goals successfully.
2. Bacalao
Mexicans are big foodies, especially on the New Year’s Eve they eat like anything. They come together as families and feast on various dishes. Among the dishes they consume, Bacalao is a must as it has a traditional link. Mexicans have a big dinner before the night of New Year with their families and friends. They make sure to include Bacalao, which is a dried salted codfish, cooked with tomatoes and olives. This dish is traditionally called as Bacalao a la Vizcaino.
3. Lentils
Eating lentils on the New Year’s Day is also a popular tradition followed by Mexican people. As a part of New Year’s Eve dinner, Mexico people serve lentils as they are believed to bring abundance. To attract more good luck some people even carry some lentils in their pockets or wallets or leave some outside the home.
4. Bunuelos
Mexicans also have a sweet treat on the New Year as a part of their tradition. The sweet is called Bunuelos and is nothing but a crispy fritter quoted with sweet syrup and is served in a ceramic dish. The tradition is not complete just by eating the sweet. After eating the sweet, people have to make a wish and break the ceramic dish against a wall or floor. The breaking of the dish symbolizes breaking the past and also making the wish come true. The above four are the most popular Mexican New Year’s Food Traditions that they follow.
5. Raise a toast with a ring in it
Drinking champagne with a ring in the glass is another tradition followed in Mexico to attract prosperity. It is said that drinking with a ring in the glass increases wealth and love in the coming year. The traditional toast in Mexico is made with sparkling cider. They also use ponche, a type of hot fruit punch to raise the toast. Placing the ring in a glass of champagne and drinking it is considered to be good luck by Mexican people according to their traditions.
6. Colorful Underwear
The New Year’s superstition of Mexico also has the tradition of wearing colorful underwear on the New Year. However, the color you wear will decide what you get attracted to in the New Year. For instance, if you want to attract love wear red color underwear. If you want success or money, you have to choose yellow. For peace you have to pick white and for dignity black. For good health, green is the color and for wisdom orange should be your go to color. A slight variation to the aforesaid tradition is lighting colored candles which has the same effect as wearing colored underwear.
7. Fireworks
Another New Year’s Traditions In Mexico that is most familiar one to be heard in western countries is fireworks. Yes! Who doesn’t love fireworks; Mexicans are not exception, but they do it with a traditional twist. On the New Year’s Eve all the beaches in the country are crowded with people as they visit there not just to party, but also to see the magic of fireworks in the sky at the stroke of midnight. They believe that lighting fireworks at the midnight will scare away the evil spirits.
8. Money
There are some two to three traditions that are associated with money that are followed on the New Year’s Day by Mexicans. As a part of the ritual to attract more money into the house, people throw coins out of the door and sweep them back into the house. You can also hold paper money at the midnight as it is believed that the more money you hold the more you are going to gain in the coming year. Also, placing few dollars in the shoes and roaming around will also attract good fortune as per their traditions.
9. Jot Down Your Wish
Everyone badly wants to make their wish come true. They undergo hardships to achieve their dreams. If you also want to make your wish come true then according to Mexican traditions, jot your wishes on a piece of paper and place them on the top of a table. When the wish comes true, you have to burn the paper.
10. Pack Your Bags
If you are a travel freak this tradition is just for you. If you want to travel and explore the world in the coming year then start the New Year exactly the same way. On the New Years’ Day pack your luggage as if you are about to travel the world. Pick the attires for packing according to the place you want to visit the coming year. For example, if you want to visit Switzerland, pack some warm clothes.
11. Sweep
Mexicans also have this tradition of sweeping their homes for the New Year. Here sweeping represents throwing the old year out making place for the New Year. In some households, people open the door right at the midnight and sweep their house to represent that they have thrown the old year out. This tradition can also be thought as sweeping away the negative energy from the house and making place for positive energy. Also, the house is moped with cinnamon water before midnight.
12. El Ano Viejo Dummies
This is a tradition that is observed in many households of Mexico where stuffed scarecrows and dummies are placed on roofs and corners of the street. This is because the figures represent old year and at the midnight of the New Year’s Eve these dummies are burnt along with other fireworks which represent killing the bad things and welcoming the new things and thereby good fortune into the life. These dummies are stuffed with old cloth and papers.
Other than these traditions, Mexican people also make resolutions on the New Year’s Day for betterment. The most common resolutions include losing weight, getting fit, walking up on time etc.
Well, these are the Mexican New Year Traditions that people over there follow with their heart to attract good fortune, wealth and prosperity in their lives. If you want to celebrate the New Year in Mexico in the coming future, do remember all these traditions and make sure to observe at least one among them to witness the magic. Also, make sure to share your thoughts about these interesting traditions of Mexico with us below. Do bookmark our website – NEWYEARWIKI.COM and stay tuned to read our featured and future articles.